


Wonder Boy (what is the secret of your power)

by alicat54c



Category: Justice League - All Media Types, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Season/Series 01, wonder boy meets boy wonder
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-05 11:51:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18365444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alicat54c/pseuds/alicat54c
Summary: Diana never thought of herself as one of those heros who would get a sidekick. Even if she had, she would not have expected it to happen quite like this.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [orchidsandink](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=orchidsandink).



…

Princess Diana of Themyscira flexed the fingers of her right hand, still bruised from where they had punched against Amazo’s thick robotic hide. By that point, the robot had managed to mimic one of the powers of one of the more durable members of the Justice League, and she had nearly fractured her metacarpals. She would like nothing better than to curl her injured hand around a mug of hot tea, however her mother insisted that she look over potential candidates to join her in exploring and learning from the world of men. 

Normally the Amazonian representative at the UN would handle such matters, however Philippus was currently fielding concerns over the escalating situation in Biaylia, and could not take the time to train new ambassadors. Diana had offered to take the sisters who were interested in leaving the island on as her honor guard in her home at the American Themysciran embassy. While a long overdue gesture, that doubled to alleviate her mother’s concerns about her being alone away from her family, Diana was now reconsidering the offer, in the face of how much paperwork she would have to file. Men were so fickle about their paperwork.

Flexing her fingers once more, Diana made her way across the Watch Tower to the teleporters, mentally calculating the amount of time she would need to find the jasmine tea leaves she bought on her last trip to Japan in relation to the urgency of her paperwork. She winced as a spike of pain sliced through her palm. 

Martian Manhunter was standing beside one of the large windows looking out into space, eyes distant with a hand held against the communicator in his ear.

“- have the team and Superboy transport Amazo’s parts to their drop off points.” She heard him say, as she passed.

Despite herself, the Amazon princess stopped. “Is that safe?” She called out to him.

The martian looked up, red eyes blinking as they settled on her. “Wonder Woman.”

Diana walked closer, taking his acknowledgement as an offer. “I heard you talking about the disposal of Amazo. I thought the League agreed to have it dismantled at STAR Labs.”

“I believe that is still what was agreed upon, yes.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think such a delicate matter should be entrusted to Superboy. His loyalties-”

Jonn turned to face her fully, green skin rippling underneath in the ghostly gaseous way all martians did. “I performed Superboy’s initial interrogation, and his loyalties to his team are not in question.”

“I’m not doubting your skills Jonn. But in his public file, he has been listed as a potential security risk, and Superman’s evaluation of him from the perspective of a Kryptonian-”

“Superman’s evaluation is, unfortunately, biased due to his emotional closeness to the issue. Batman, Black Canary, Red Tornado, and I have the situation monitored.”

“Then I am sure I have no need to worry.” She flexed her fingers again. “How has your- niece was it?- adjusted to Earth?”

They lapsed into idle chatter, until Diana’s mental tea timer informed her of the papers waiting for her on her desk at the embassy. Bidding her friend farewell, she stepped through the teleporter.  
…

That evening at her desk, the princess was drawn from her reverie by the television behind her replaying the latest in ‘Hero News’. Alongside the larger battle against the robot capable of mimicking any power it sees, there was a small fluff piece interviewing a bus full of children who had been rescued by Superman just before the incident.

“It was so cool!” one little girl with blonde pigtails squealed, bouncing on her toes in front of the camera. “We were about to fall off a bridge, and then we weren’t, and then Superman lifted the whole bus up into the air!”

“And then what happened?” the reporter prompted, with an indulgent smile.

The little girl wrinkled her brow in a pouty frown. “Well, we wanted to all go out and say thank you, but then the other super guy who was there and Superman were talking, and then he had to fly away.”

Diana idly turned a page of her document. Was there any other League member in Metropolis that day?

“Other guy?”

She nodded so fiercely, her hair wobbled. “Yeah! He didn’t look like a superhero- he was wearing jeans, and my mommy says only slobs wear jeans to work! Maybe that’s why he and Superman were arguing with each other? Is Superman getting a sidekick too? He kinda looked like Superman.”

Diana put down her pen, attention fixed on the screen, however the station had already switched to their latest gossip column speculating about the supposed new sidekick of Superman, and she tunned them out.

She tapped her fingers against the wood of her desk, barely noticing the mostly healed bruising from earlier. Decision reached, she made a call.  
...

“We really have to do this more often,” the Black Canary said over a steaming cup of coffee.

Diana, newly healed hands wrapped around a delicate porcelain teacup, smiled. “We both get so caught up in League business, it’s difficult to find the time to catch up. How is your arm doing?”

Dinah unconsciously rolled her shoulder, revealing the edge of bandages still underneath her collar. “As well as can be expected.” She took a sip from her cup, and set it down on the diner’s tiny table between them. “Now why did you really call me here Diana?”

The Amazon’s smile widened, as she set her cup down as well. “I would like to get your opinion of Superboy. I understand that you are one of his current watchers?”

The blonde sat back in her chair, face impassive. “Why do you want to know?”

“A news station covered his recent appearance in Metropolis, and mentioned his unstable behavior and obvious tension with Superman. When I checked his file, I noticed it had not been updated since he was discovered at Cadmus. I would like your assessment of the situation.”

“You want to know if he's dangerous.”

Diana included her head. “With the League only just managing to defeat Amazo, you can understand my concern over an unknown entity with Superman’s powers.”

“Superboy doesn't have all of Superman’s powers, not that doesn't stop him running headlong into problems.” She said the last part under her breath.

“That wasn't mentioned in the report.”

Dinah sighed and carefully sat back. “League policy is to keep the medical and private information about members confidential. Superman has yet to inform us as to how much about his clone he wishes to disclose. Until then, we are holding off on updating Superboy’s file.” Her tone spoke to how exactly the heroine felt about that situation.

Diana took a sip of tea. “Off the record, could you tell me? With all the rumors flying around the Watchtower, it would ease my peace of mind.”

“He's not a bad kid,” Dinah began, eyes locked with the Amazon’s. “He's just untrained, but there is no question that he is glad to be free of Cadmus.”

“Jonn told me much the same thing. As I understand, he is being given training with the other younger heroes and assigned light mission work by Batman. The Flash was telling me about Kid Flash’s excitement at being on a team,” she added at the blonde’s questioning look.

Dinah smiled in shared sympathy at the motor mouth Flash acquired when talking about his family to coworkers. 

“It's the best situation we have available for Superboy. As of yet he does not have a full time mentor to give him the specialized training he needs. I can only do so much commuting between League business and my other obligations, especially now that Green Arrow has asked me to to assist him in Star city with Speedy’s departure.”

Diana thought back to the generations of sisters she trained in the arts of war on Themyscira, and those who thought themselves invincible after besting their first opponent in the ring, only to accidentally shoot an arrow into a teammates back when faced with a more devious foe. “Is there no one else available to assist with the boy? He might unknowingly be a danger if left partially trained.” 

“There are concerns, as those members of the League capable of subduing Superboy’s enhanced strength have also expressed concerns similar to yours.”

“But in a more vocal manner I assume.”

Dinah did not share her smile, as she leaned forward to curl her hands around her mug. “Yes. The silence of certain parties on the issue has complicated matters considerably.”

Wonder Woman set her cooling cup down on its saucer. A curl of steam drifted into the air, twisting like a lasso. “I will be taking time off the active duty roster, in order to better fulfill my duties as ambassador to the United States. I wouldn't mind helping you train the children.”

The blonde smiled, pleased her implied offer had been accepted. “I wouldn't mind the help, though, officially, Batman is the team’s handler.”

Diana smiled right back. “I will let him know then.”  
…

Wonder Woman commed Batman, and he agreed to meet with her at the Hall of Justice. The sun had long set in this time zone, though it did not make much of a difference in the windowless inner rooms. Diana was taking the time to read through her more urgent emails, seated on one of the cushy couches which filled up the back room of the Hall of Justice, along with an espresso machine. The teleporter beeped, announcing a new arrival.

“Sorry I’m late,” Batman said flatly, cape billowing behind him as he stepped out of the teleporter. “I was just speaking with Superman.”

“It was not trouble,” she said, setting aside the electronic pad of emails and reports she had been scrolling through. She stood up. “I wanted to talk to you about my taking leave from the active duty roster.”

“If you need more time, you could have commed Mr. Terrific.”

“It’s not that. I was speaking with Black Canary about helping her train the team of younger heroes, since her time is becoming more limited.”

Batman’s eyes narrowed. “What prompted this?”

Diana propped her palm against her hip. “Certain individuals in the League have expressed concerns over some of the members of your team.”

“As only the leading League members know know about Young Justice, I’m assuming you’re talking about Clark.”

“He has been quiet on the issue, Bruce. Other people are growing concerned as to what his quiet could mean.”

“Superboy, while a potential security risk, is not a threat. We are keeping a close eye on any possible conditioning Cadmus might have programed into him, but so far he is showing himself to be allied against those who created him.”

“Jonn said as much to me. However, my concern is his lack of training. Malice need not be present for harm to occur, when ignorance is rampant. From what Canary said, Superboy needs more hands on work than she is capable of providing. I am merely offering my services.”

“Wouldn't this be a strain on your more political obligations? Training new ambassadors from Themyscira will be a considerable time commitment as well.”

Diana didn't bother wondering how Batman knew the reasons for her time off. “My offer is temporary as a favor to Canary. Besides, I will need to get out of the office now and then to stretch my legs.”

The Dark Night’s mouth held the particular straight cant that Diana could speculate might be hiding a smile. “I'll bring it up with the other team mentors, and we will have to set a time for you to be introduced to the team.”

“I look forward to it.”

Batman’s com beeped, and his hand rose to his ear as he listened. “They did what.”

Diana watched as his stony exterior hardened from sandstone to granite.

“I'll be right there,” Batman said, before closing the connection. “I'm going to have to cut this short. Some complications arose during the team’s mission, so I want to debrief them in person.”

“I will come as well.” She ignored is impending scowl and pushed on. “You will be able to introduce me to the team, and I will get a better assessment for when I begin to teach them.”

He considered her through the blank eyes of his mask. “We should hurry,” he said by way of agreement, cape billowing as he strode to the teleporter.  
…

“Tell me again why you chose not to call the League,” Batman said.

Kaldur straightened his spine, posture at parade rest. The rest of the team was in the medical wing, getting their required post mission checkup. Robin was still nursing a collection of bruises and scrapes from falling from his motorcycle, and though Wally had already healed the worst of the damage, he was getting a potentially fractured rib checked out. Superboy had refused any treatment, citing that he was invulnerable.

“I took the initiative, as team leader, to complete the mission despite unforeseen complications.”

Batman raised an eyebrow. “Complications being the trucks you were protecting getting attacked, and your teammate proving himself to be emotionally unstable and running off in the middle of a mission.”

“I believed we could handle it, and my belief proved to be well placed. We succeeded in our mission.”

“But you nearly didn’t.” Batman’s tone brook no argument. 

The teen straightened his spine. “With all due respect, we cannot grow as a team if we contact the League for help at every turn.”

“Be that as it may, your failure could have proved catastrophic to more than just your team. It is not considered a failure to ask for help; as team leader you need to learn to weigh your pride against your safety.” 

Kaldur cringed, Batman’s disappointment palpable.

“If this continues to be a problem in the future,” the Dark Knight continued, “we might have to rethink the team.”

His shoulders tightened. “I understand.” 

“Good.” Batman turned away. “I’ll debrief the entire team together once everyone is out of med-bay. You’re dismissed.”

Kaldur nodded sharply and left, the door of the conference room sliding shut behind him. 

Batman waited until the faint footsteps in the hall faded, before raising a hand to the com in his ear. “Batman to Wonder Woman.”

“I’m here,” came Diana’s staticy voice. 

“Have you finished reading over the team’s mission reports?”

“Their coherence as a unit is non-existent.” He heard the telltale clack of an electronic pad being put down onto a hard surface. “Each member showed distinct areas in need of improvement in order for them to work together as a team. Superboy in particular showed a disregard for the team’s plan and his own safety, when he went off by himself to face Ivo. Canary also mentioned that he has been acting out during training, and undermining her authority as his teacher.”

“His emotionally instability is not unwarranted, given his situation.”

“Maybe, but it is negatively impacting his team. He needs to learn to control himself.”

A barely there smile ticked the corner of Batman’s face. “I suppose it’s good that you will be there to help him then.”

“Does that mean you are accepting my offer to mentor the team?” Her teasing tone tickled his ear. 

“I’ll introduce you to them tonight.”

Later, in the main hall of Mt. Justice, Batman addressed the team, flanked by Red Tornado, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, Black Canary, and Wonder Woman. Kaldur had just repeated his summary of the mission report. Robin was back on his feet, though Batman made a point to have Alfred check over his wounds once more back at the cave.

“Despite unseen complications,” Batman said when Kaldur finished, “you all adapted and performed well on the mission.” The expressions on the teenagers’s faces ranged from angrily contrite to outright apologetic. 

“Due to constraints on Black Canary’s time,” he continued, “Wonder Woman has offered to help train you when she is unavailable.”

“We don’t need another babysitter!” Robin whined. Batman’s sharp look silenced the young hero.

“Wonder Woman has extensive experience teaching teamwork to Amazonian warriors, something that Young Justice desperately needs, so an incident like this will not happen again.” 

Superboy’s glance met Batman’s for a fleeting heartbeat, before focusing once more to scowl at the floor. Robin looked ready to open his mouth again, but a sharp look from Kaldur silenced him.

Batman surveyed the motley crew. “If that’s all, then you’re dismissed.”  
…


	2. Chapter 2

...

Diana considered the notes on her tablet, stylus tapping against the plastic corner of the screen.

She was sitting in one of the many empty rooms in Mount Justice. Before the League evacuated, due to the hide out’s location being compromised, it had been a lounge. The coffee stain on the ceiling from the time Flash jumped Green Arrow the first time he tried to ask Black Canary on a date was still there.

Diana wondered what happened to her favorite armchair that once sat in the corner. Had it been donated with the rest of the furniture to one of Wayne Enterprises many charities, or had its ripped upholstery and creaky joints, from too much rough handling by inhumanly strong sitters, relegated it to the dumpster? 

She considered asking Batman, but… Her eye fell back to her tablet. She had more pressing matters to talk with him about.

The stylus tapped the screen again, rolling through her notes from the obstacle course she had run Young Justice through on their first day of training with her. 

Kid Flash: Showboating when he should be concentrating on the objective. Shows more trust in Robin than team leader.

Miss Martian: Does not discouraged her teammates attempts to attract her attention. Lets her emotions get the better of her during missions. 

Aqualad: Does not try to control his teammates or exhibit strong authority as team leader.

Robin: Shows lack of teamwork and tends to run ahead disregarding plans made with the rest of his teammates. 

Diana smiled at that last entry, reminded of her own first few missions with the Dark Knight. Bruce had gotten better, and she had no doubt his protege would as well. 

She knew the importance of establishing a line of communication with every teacher of a student, as often young warriors could become discouraged with multiple instructors. Haranguing a student on all sides can do just as much to frustrate them as conflicting instructions to solving the same issue. Diana had already informed the mentors of all members of the team, who had told her they would work on the problems, save…

Superboy: Goes blundering head first like an angry Erymanthian Boar. Shows reckless disregard for both plans made by his teammates and his own safety.

She put a hand to her communicator. “Wonder Woman to Batman.”

“Yes Diana?”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you who Superboy’s mentor is, so I can send them my assessment notes. Red Tornado said that I should contact you, before calling Superman about this.”

“Clark has made his involvement in the matter of anything involving Superboy very clear.”

Diana blinked at his sharp tone. “I’m afraid I don’t understand. He must have performed his own assessment of the boy when he was first retrieved from Cadmus, surely. He is the only expert on Kryptonian physiology we have.”

“Other than a slight resistance to absorbing true sunlight, after his long term exposure to artificial UV rays, Superboy is physically fit. With more exposure to UV rays being diffused through an atmosphere, his fatigue should gradually lessen with time.”

Wonder Woman paused, then made a note on her pad. “While I’m glad at least one person took advantage of Clark’s offer to use his Kryptonian databases, what I’m hearing from you right now is that Superboy has no one overseeing his personal training.”

“It was supposed to be temporary, and I admit it is not an ideal situation.”

She huffed a laugh. “Yes Bruce, letting a volatile young warrior with little to no training out onto the battlefield is just ‘not ideal’.”

“He showed resistance when Canary offered to teach him, and with her time so limited as it is, with her helping Green Arrow now that Speedy is gone-”

“You don’t have to tell me Bruce.” Her stylus tapped the side of her pad. “Superboy shows a marked disdain for authority, though I believe it is due to what he was taught at Cadmus. A ‘might makes right’ mentality. I’ve seen similar cases with talented young warriors new to training. They won’t respect a teacher until they prove their worth to be learned from.”

His gruff silence was telling. “You seem to have things well in hand,” Batman said at last.

“This isn’t my first time teaching Bruce.” A smile crept across her lips. “It is my job to make sure Young Justice works as a coherent team. I can work with Superboy to that end, until more ‘ideal’ circumstances present themselves.”

“I’ll leave it to you then,” Batman said, and hung up.  
…

Superboy sat straight backed on the couch, staring at the static on the TV screen. It was Monday. Monday meant M’gann was training with the Martian Manhunter. Mount Justice would be empty until she returned on Wednesday, when she would make a batch of cookies every day, until Friday night, when the rest of the team would zeta beam over. Saturday morning would see everyone training with either Black Canary or, more recently, her replacement Wonder Woman. If Batman had a mission for the team, that would be assigned Saturday night.

But today was Monday. Superboy had no assignments. So he sat on the couch, and turned on the TV. 

His first night outside of Cadmus, when Kid Flash had taken him to the residence of the Flash for observation, he had explained that watching TV was something normal people did. Wally had turned the small TV in the guest room on, and bid Superboy goodnight. Dutifully, the clone had watched the grey screen, until the images had descended into static in the early morning.

Superboy still did not understand the attraction of watching TV, but he tried.

White noise pressed against his eardrums, sounding like rushing blood, or the faint sounds of water he could sometimes make out through the thick walls of the base. Grey lines fizzed and sparked against each other, never touching, always parallel. 

The screen blinked, and blanked out.

Superboy looked around.

“I asked if the cable was down again.” Wonder Woman walked closer to the couch, dropping the remote control onto the cushions. “The Flash once fried the electrical system running through Mount Justice. The TV has never been the same since.”

Superboy frowned. “What are you doing here?”

Wonder Woman raised an eyebrow, lips lifting slightly. “We need to work on your technique. Come on.”

She swept away, dark hair fanning over her shoulders. Superboy immediately jumped to his feet and followed, careful to keep half a step behind. Wonder Woman led him through the hangar bay, and out onto one of the sandy beaches bordering the cliffs surrounding Mount Justice.

Superboy stood in the sand, arms tucked behind his back in perfect parade rest. 

“How often have you been outside, unrelated to missions?” Wonder Woman asked, hands poised on her hips as she surveyed him.

Superboy blinked, brows drawing together. “I didn't know I was allowed out.” At least, he didn't think he was allowed out without someone there to watch him. Cadmus had always- he shook his thoughts away, refocusing.

Wonder Woman was still staring at him, her mouth carefully flat. “You should go out more. As I understand Kryptonians need a certain level of exposure to sunlight to remain healthy.”

His eyes ticked for a heartbeat up to glower at the yellow sun, before fixing back on the League member standing across from him.

“I'm fine, “ he said, hoping that his voice was steady enough to cover the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. From Wonder Woman's expression, it wasn't.

“I'm fine,” he said again. His heart jumped in his chest as fades memories of voices above him speaking about ‘defects’ and ‘disposal procedure ‘ echoed through his head like half forgotten nightmares.

“I believe you,” Wonder Woman said, voice soft, like Black Canary sometimes spoke to him before she left. “It is just a part of your medical history you need to be aware of. All Kryptonians need a certain exposure to sunlight.”

He met her eye, heart fluttering, teeth bared. “And what do you know about Kryptonians?”

She cocked an eyebrow. “More than you.”

His hands squeezed into fists, and he could distantly feel his muscles shake through the red haze taking over his vision.

“I don't need this!” He barked, hands lowering to his sides, posture squaring. “I'm a living weapon! I'm Superman’s clone! I don't need anyone to teach me how to fight, and I definitely don't need anyone who thinks they can tell me what I am!” He bit his tongue before he could spout how the only one who could clearly wanted nothing to do with him. Blood filled his mouth, and he swallowed, the minor injury already healed.

Wonder Woman’s expression shifted to something he couldn't identify, before her composed blank face was back. “Then prove you don't need what I have to teach.”

With an enraged yell, Superboy leapt.  
…

In the bottom of one of the myriad of new craters dotting the beach, Superboy panted. His shoulder ached dully where he had fallen awkwardly the fourth or fifth time Wonder Woman had slammed him to the ground. He winced as he heaved himself into a slouch, legs pulling closer to his chest so he could lean his elbows against his knees.

“You need to center your weight lower if you want to avoid getting flipped like that again. But that was a good improvement from this morning.”

Superboy looked up to where the heroine, still immaculate as ever, stood at the edge of the crater, hand outstretched. He blinked at the proffered limb.

“That’s enough for today, we should take a break.”

“I can keep going,” he protested, ignoring her hand and rolling himself to his feet. The unfamiliar strain in his muscles was already easing.

“Be that as it may, we’ve gone over a lot today.” She made her way towards the hangar bay. “Is the little motorcar diner on Main Street still there?”

Superboy obediently followed. “What?”

“In Happy Harbor.” Wonder Woman walked through the hangar bay to the lounge, where she picked up a duffel bag from the floor and unzipped it. 

“I’ve never been there.”

She paused. “Really? I had my first chocolate sunday there.” She smiled nostalgically, before seeming to remember what she had been doing. Brandishing a blouse and pencil skirt, she began to head towards the door to the private quarters.“I’ll be back in a minute, don’t go anywhere.”

Dutifully, Superboy counted backwards from sixty, hands at his sides as he stood unmoving in the middle of the lounge. He wondered what the nearby town was like. Did the civilians know that the former Justice League headquarters was hidden in their midst? Superboy sighed minutely. He probably wouldn’t be able to spot any difference anyway, as he wasn’t quite sure how civilians were meant to act in the first place, neighbors of superheroes or not.

When his count reached negative ten, Wonder Woman reappeared, this time wearing the blouse and blue skirt from her bag. Superboy followed her back out of the base, turning towards the nearby road instead of the beach.  
...

The diner’s outside was plated in metal, which seemed too thin and shiny to provide any substantial protection. 

“Miss Prince!” The woman behind the counter called when they entered.

“Babs!” Wonder Woman greeted.

“I thought you went to Washington for work?” Superboy noted her greying hair and portly appearance, deeming her to not be a threat. Her eyes were nearly lost in wrinkles when she smiled.

“I’m just visiting for today, Babs.”

“I’ll be sure to tell Marsha. She’ll be devastated she missed you!” The woman, ‘Babs’ , pulled out two laminated sheets of paper. “I’ll put you and your boy at your usual table.”

She directed them to a table in the corner, surrounded on either side by red plastic covered benches, which bounced when Superboy sat on them. He bounced again as he scooted closer to the table’s center, until he was sitting directly across from Wonder Woman, who had opened one of the folded pieces of paper Babs had left behind.

Superboy picked up one as well, and, with a surreptitious glance at how Wonder Woman was holding it, opened the folds on either side. Bright pictures assaulted his eyes, and though he recognized the shape of some of them as food, he could not identify what exactly the purpose of this paper was. Some kind of textbook? About food? Like the assignments Red Tornado left for him to do at Mount Justice?

His eyes narrowed, as he studiously began reading each word in front of him. Double Burger, Cheese Burger, Chicken Salad, Sides-

“You read what is to offer on the menu, and ask the server to bring it to you when she comes by.” He looked up to see Wonder Woman smiling faintly at him. “I know the menu can be a bit daunting your first time here.”

Superboy glared harder at the offending reflective paper. A test then? One of his assignments had a similar multiple choice section, but not nearly this many. Did he miss some kind of reading he should have done? Was he meant to evaluate each item for maximum nutrition value? What if he picked wrong? Would Wonder Woman decide to leave him too, after he failed her assessment, just like he must have failed the assessments of Superman and Black Canary-

The menu nearly crumpled between his fingers.

When Babs came back around to their table, Wonder Woman handed over her menu with a smile. 

“I’ll have a bacon cheese burger with avocado and curly fries,” she said.

“And for you hon?” Babs asked, turning to Superboy.

His heart began to pound in his ears. “Bring me what she’s having,” he growled at last. He had to consciously unclench his fingers to hand over the menu, and Babs left.

He snuck a glance at Wonder Woman, but she was busey unwrapping her straw. She didn’t look angry. He must have passed. His shoulders relaxed minutely. He looked down at his own straw and the cup of water and ice Babs had brought over. The corner of the paper, wet with perspiration, stuck to the flimsy plastic, ripping the wrapper into smaller pieces. He frowned, and began to pick them off.

“So, Superboy.” His eyes flicked up. Wonder Woman was watching him. He felt his spine straighten to attention. “How do you like living in Mount Justice?”

“It’s fine.” She looked expectantly at him, but he couldn’t muster up any more of an answer. Wally had used that response when asked a similar question about Mount Justice. Was it not right? He tucked his hands underneath the table.

“It can be a bit daunting,” Wonder Woman said, when it became evident he wasn’t going to continue. “When I lived there, all we had was the hangar bay and main meeting room. I slept for a week in the lounge during one of the more critical crises. This was before we had the zeta platforms, so I couldn’t get back to my apartment in Gateway City. I was still figuring out how paying rent worked, so by the time I got back my couch was already thrown to the curb. That was when Batman made the long term living quarters.”

“You lived there too?” He leaned forwards despite himself. “But I thought…” 

She smiled. “I had first left Themyscira without telling my mother, so felt I could not go back. It was hard to understand man’s world. Take money for instance. To me, coins are a burial right to be placed on the eyes of the dead.”

“The genomes explained economics and different currency exchange rates to me, but…” Superboy looked down, brow furrowing.

“It all seems a bit silly, right?” He looked up to see her amused smile. But it was different than how Wally or Robin smiled and laughed at him when he said something. Superboy couldn’t place why exactly...but instead of feeling heat in the back of his eyes, or his shoulders stiffen, he felt his heartbeat relax. “On Themyscira if a sister is in need, she asks another sister for help. Everyone helps the community, so everyone in the community can benefit.”

His frown was reactionary. “That’s communism.”

“I suppose.” She tilted her head, hair falling over her shoulder. “But we don’t have the problem of people robbing banks, which is the most common large scale crime in the rest of the world.”

“Stealing is wrong,” he said by way of agreement. His eyes shifted down to the table, watching the perspiration slide down his glass.

“It is against the law.” Had he looked up, he would have seen her face turn contemplative. “Though sometimes laws need to be changed. Say you were in a different country, and you did not know the laws they had on stealing. If you were hungry, would you steal food to feed yourself?”

Superboy’s brows pulled together. Another test. “Kryptonians don’t need to eat that much to sustain themselves.”

“If you have access to enough water and sunlight I suppose, though I know it’s not comfortable.” She leaned her elbows on the table. “What if it was one of your teammates who was hungry?”

His eyes darted to meet hers, slightly wild around the edges. “Wally needs to eat every few hours or he can pass out. Canary told us he could even die.”

“Speedsters have a very high metabolism. So if it was Wally who was hungry, you would steal food?”

Superboy looked down, shoulders tightening. “Well,” he measured his words. “Is...does the person I’m taking it from have lots of other food?”

“Yes.” She watched him, unblinking.

“Then…” He shifted in his seat. “It makes logical sense to take the food for Wally, because he needs it more.”

Wonder Woman inclined her head. “I agree with you.” His posture immediately sank as his back relaxed. “Helping those in need is the job of a hero. One of the main things I argue for as ambassador to the United States Government is for aid to those in need, like refugees.”

Superboy looked at her, eyes wide. “That’s, uh...really...cool.” He hoped he was using the word correctly.

At that moment, Babs returned holding a tray atop which two plates were balanced. She greeted them both with some pleasantries, and set her burdens down in front of each of them. Superboy stared at the pile of bread and meat on his plate, intimidated.

He watched as the heroine picked up the burger, smashed the buns together, and took a large satisfying bite. Tentatively he picked up his own meal, pleased when the bread didn’t squish to pulp between his fingers. He risked another glance across the table, before opening his mouth wide to take a bite.

His teeth clicked together too sharply, cutting through the beef and lettuce faster than expected. Superboy chewed more carefully, noting how the crunch of bacon contrasted the smooth glide of the avocado. His mouth filled with saliva, and he swallowed, before quickly taking another bite. 

Soon, all that remained on his plate was a pile of french fries, which his genome implanted information told him were actually made from potatoes, not fried french people. He left those untouched, though his mouth still watered. Wonder Woman still hadn’t eaten any of her fries either, and perhaps they weren’t meant to be eaten, despite how good they smelled, like the candy wrappers Kid Flash sometimes left scattered about the base. Kid and Robin had laughed when Superboy crunched through plastic, the first time Kid had offered him one. His cheeks burned as he remembered.

“So,” Wonder Woman said, swallowing the last bite of her burger. “What do you do in your spare time?”

Superboy looked up from where he had been prodding a fried tuber, brows furrowed. “Red Tornado left some text books and papers for me,” he said slowly, watching her expression, unsure if this was the answer she wanted. “I finished all of those assignments as directed.”

Her expression remained placid, though she put down her food. “And when you’re not working on any assignments?”

Superboy tucked his hands underneath the table to clench the hem of his shirt. “We have team practice?”

She hummed. “And what do you think of your team?”

The clone let out a breath. Mission reports and threat assessment. He could do that. “Aqualad is the best at keeping a level head in combat situations. Robin and Kid are most detrimental to the completion of a mission, however are most likely to insert unexpected variables into a situation, which has proven advantageous against several opponents.”

He cleared his throat, unused to speaking so much.

“And M’gann?” Wonder Woman prompted. “She lives in the tower with you, doesn’t she?”

His emotions were came too fast to keep his report objective. “She won’t stay out of my head!”

Immediately Superboy drew back, shoulders hunching in on himself as he looked down at his place. Had he been looking up, he wouldn’t have been able to place the expression of Wonder Woman’s face anyway. 

“And you don’t like that,” her voice was soft, empathetic. “Because of Cadmus.”

He shook his head, still looking down. 

“Is everything alright over here, Miss Prince?” Babs had returned to the table.

“Yes,” said Wonder Woman. “Though I think we’re both just about ready for dessert. Do you still have your death by chocolate cake?”

Superboy’s vision turned blurry. Death? So this was a test. He had failed. He was being decommissioned. Poisoned? Most likely. His brain buzzed with historic examples of people being killed with poison. Most, like his situation, were hidden in food. 

He pressed his eyelids tightly shut as Babs returned a moment later with two smaller plates piled high with something triangular and brown, with white stuff on top. She probably wasn’t even a civilian. She must have been the Justice League’s version of a decommissioner. 

He felt his lips press tight as he picked up a fork. He wouldn’t run. He would take the consequences of whatever test he had failed. He cut the biggest slice he could fit into his mouth from the triangle of cake, and shoved it between his teeth.

Flavor exploded on his taste buds: dark, creamy and light, gritty with a sticky moist texture between the pallet of his tongue and the roof of his mouth. A small sound escaped his throat, and he swallowed reflexively at the buildup of saliva in his mouth.

“Good, isn’t it?” Wonder Woman watched him with a gentle smile, half of her own cake already gone as well.

Superboy swallowed, and felt his eyes burn in shame. He was wrong again. If Wonder Woman was eating as well, it couldn’t be poison. Unless she was immune, but the genomes would have told him if she was immune to such things.

“Chocolate cake is my favorite, and Babs makes the best I’ve tasted. This is my secret cake place.”

A secret? Was that why the cake was disguised by calling it death? To throw off anyone who would want to gain access to it? And he was being trusted with this secret? 

A blossom of warmth glowed in his chest, chasing back the burn of his eyes, and Superboy cut another slice of cake. He put it into his mouth, the corners of which were turned up slightly, taking special care to get more of the white cream on this bite.

“What’s your favorite thing to eat?” Wonder Woman asked.

Superboy met her gaze, before looking back down at his near empty plate. An opinion? About nourishment? Shouldn’t that not matter so long as all dietary requirements were met? He didn’t think this one was a test. Subjective answers had more moveable responses. Though, that also made them harder.

“This,” he said, popping the last bite of cake into his mouth. She said it was her favorite, so it couldn’t be wrong. Besides, chocolate cake evoked the most visceral reaction from his tongue and saliva glands he had ever experienced. That means he enjoyed it, right? He scraped the last few crumbs from the place with the side of his fork, careful not to miss one mouth watering crumb.

Next time he came here, he wondered if he would be allowed to be given more. He definitely would not mind.

“If you ever want any recommendations for places to eat in Happy Harbor, or have any questions about anything else, you can ask me at any time.”

Superboy pressed his hands close in his lap. “Can,” his too blue eyes flicked to hers, then looked away. “Can you show me how you did that throw before? When we were on the beach?”

Her smile made the glow in his chest redouble. “Of course.”

When Superboy moved to stand, she held up a hand. “Not just yet, we need to wait for the check.”

The clone scowled. “What do you have to check?”

“It’s a,” she mulled over her words, “ritual for payment.” 

Superboy tensed, expecting a ridiculing laugh at his ignorance, but none came.

Babs returned to collect their plates, leaving in her wake a slip of white paper. 

Reaching into her pocket, Wonder Woman produced a leather rectangle, which she unfolded and pulled a few bills of green currency from to lay on the table.

“Now we can go,” she said, and stood.

They walked along the shore line back to Mount Justice. Wonder Woman stretched her arms behind her head with a great sigh.

“I’ve always love the ocean, ever since leaving Themyscira. It reminds me of home. I had never been to a landlocked place where the sea couldn’t be heard.”

“I never saw the stars, before leaving Cadmus,” Superboy adds, not wanting her to stop talking. He liked it when she talked to him.

She tilted her head back, as if she could see past the daylight to the night sky. “The light pollution is a bit too much to see the stars well on the beach here, but if you climb to the top of the mountain, the view is quite nice.”

That night, after Wonder Woman left Mount Justice, Superboy stared at the black ceiling of his room. He wondered when his x-ray vision would kick in so he could see all the way up, and never lose the sky again.  
…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> …  
> A/N:
> 
> This is not the Diana from the recent movies. I’m most familiar with the Diana from the JLU cartoon series. This is not that Diana either. This Diana is who I imagine exists in the YJ universe: a badass ambassador.
> 
> Superboy does not know how anything works, let alone his own emotions and preferences.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a collaboration between the lovely Orchidsandink and myself, from many a moon ago. I think it time to publish what we have.


End file.
